How do you craft a documentary script?

1 Choose your format

Before you start writing your script, you need to decide what format your documentary will follow. There are different types of documentary formats, such as observational, expository, participatory, poetic, reflexive, and performative. Each one has its own advantages, disadvantages, and conventions. For example, observational documentaries rely on capturing reality as it unfolds, without narration, interviews, or commentary. Expository documentaries use voice-over, graphics, and archival footage to present a factual argument or perspective. Participatory documentaries involve the filmmaker as a character or a participant in the story, creating a personal or subjective point of view. Poetic documentaries use visual and sound techniques to create a lyrical or expressive impression of a theme or a mood. Reflexive documentaries draw attention to the process and the ethics of documentary filmmaking, challenging the notions of objectivity and representation. Performative documentaries use dramatization, re-enactment, or performance to explore a personal or social issue. You should choose the format that best suits your topic, your style, and your purpose.

2 Research your topic

Once you have chosen your format, you need to research your topic thoroughly. You should gather as much information as possible about your subject, your characters, your context, and your sources. You should also watch other documentaries that are similar or related to your topic, to learn from their techniques, strengths, and weaknesses. Researching your topic will help you to define your main idea, your angle, your scope, and your audience. You should also be aware of the ethical and legal implications of your topic, such as consent, copyright, and fair use.

3 Outline your structure

After you have done your research, you need to outline your structure. Your structure is the way you organize and present your information, your story, and your argument. You should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, as well as a logical flow and a coherent theme. You should also consider the elements of storytelling, such as conflict, tension, resolution, character development, and plot twists. Your outline should include the main scenes or segments of your documentary, the key points or messages you want to convey, the visual and audio elements you want to use, and the transitions or links between them. You can use different tools to outline your structure, such as index cards, mind maps, or software applications.

4 Write your narration

Depending on your format, you may need to write a narration for your documentary. Narration is the voice-over that guides the audience through your documentary, providing context, explanation, commentary, or perspective. Narration can be written by you, by a professional narrator, or by someone who is related to your topic. You should write your narration in a clear, concise, and engaging way, using simple and direct language. You should also avoid over-explaining, repeating, or contradicting what the audience can see or hear. You should balance your narration with the other elements of your documentary, such as interviews, music, sound effects, and silence.

5 Write your interviews

Another important element of your documentary script is your interviews. Interviews are the conversations you have with the people who are involved or knowledgeable about your topic, such as experts, witnesses, participants, or critics. Interviews can provide information, opinions, emotions, stories, or insights that enrich your documentary. You should prepare your interviews in advance, by researching your interviewees, choosing your questions, and setting up your equipment. You should also be flexible and adaptable during your interviews, by listening, following up, and improvising. You should write your interviews in a way that reflects the tone, style, and purpose of your documentary, as well as the personality and voice of your interviewees.

6 Write your scenes

The final step of writing your documentary script is to write your scenes. Scenes are the units of action and information that make up your documentary. Each scene should have a clear purpose, a focal point, and a duration. You should write your scenes in a descriptive and detailed way, using the language of film. You should specify the location, the time, the camera angles, the shots, the movements, the sounds, the dialogue, and the narration of each scene. You should also indicate the transitions and the cuts between the scenes. You should write your scenes in a script format, using the standard conventions and symbols of screenplay writing.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?